Tag: love

  • Circle Mission

    Circle Mission

    Acts 16:11–15; Acts 16:25–40 Rob Wegner states that a missionary is an ordinary person who’s equipped to make new disciples in a new context, and that mission isn’t first an activity, it’s an identity. How does that apply to Lydia? She has three circles. The first circle is the (Gentile) God-fearing circle. The second is…

  • Mercifully Faithful

    Mercifully Faithful

    Matthew 9:9–13; Luke 10:25–37; James 2:5–13 “For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice,  the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”     — Hosea 6:6 (CSB) It’s interesting that the same translation, the CSB, translates Hosea 6:6 with faithful love, while in Matthew 9:13 it’s mercy. What makes it even more interesting is that the same word…

  • Veritas

    Veritas

    Acts 21:34–22:28 Have there ever been times in your life when you knew speaking the truth would, at best, keep things the way they were? And, at worst, make things horribly wrong? Or, have you had the experience that no matter how much you speak the truth, others only hear lies? These scenarios might seem…

  • What’s The Matter?

    What’s The Matter?

    Numbers 3:44–48; Numbers 18:20; Deuteronomy 10:8–9; 1 Peter 2:3–10 Inheritance wars have long been a genre of popular fiction. Whether the fights were over business or titles of nobility or who will take over the family criminal enterprise. Sometimes, battles are fought over who gets what, or who got the most. That last one may…

  • Evangel

    Evangel

    Luke 1:68–80; Ephesians 4:7–16 Many years ago, there was campaign against man-caused forest fires. The campaign “starred” a little bear cub that, while burned, survived a man-caused forest fire. The tagline for the campaign was, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires.” From a strict understanding, of course, it’s not just you that can prevent forest…

  • AntiPyros

    AntiPyros

    Proverbs 16:28; Philippians 2:1–13; James 3:1–13 A pyromaniac is a person who continually fails to resist the temptation to start fires, often as a sort of method to relieve tension or for instant gratification. Pyromania (the term for the condition) is an impulse control disorder. What should we call those whose tongues (or keyboard strokes)…

  • Ever Cleaning

    Ever Cleaning

    Matthew 12:43–45 Have you ever had a guest (or guests) coming, and all of a sudden you realize your house is a mess? Maybe you go a little crazy cleaning the house up-and-down. You might even draft the spouse or kids to “help”. The guest(s) then come. The event/time comes and probably went just fine.…

  • Discipl…

    Discipl…

    Psalm 94; Proverbs 13:18; Matthew 18:15–17; 2 Corinthians 13:1–4 Discipleship is a buzzword these days. In church circles, digital and physical, there are regular (and worthwhile) conversations about discipleship. There are fancy names such as “discipleship pathway” or “growth tracks” or any number of others. All of them are one of many ways to think…